Investigations ongoing after Bishop of Lincoln is arrested on suspicion of sexual assault
Investigations are ongoing following the arrest of the Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Stephen Conway, on suspicion of sexual assault.
Lincolnshire Police said the arrest of a 68-year-old man forms part of an “ongoing investigation following an allegation that a man was sexually assaulted between 2018 and 2025”.
A Diocesan statement confirmed Bishop Conway had been suspended from ministry while a complaint made to its National Safeguarding Team is dealt with in line with the House of Bishops’ Code of Practice. The matter has been referred to the appropriate statutory authorities.
The Diocese of Lincoln said the initial complaint was made to the Church of England’s national safeguarding team at the end of January.
In a statement, the Diocese said: “The Bishop of Lincoln, The Rt Revd Stephen Conway, has been suspended from ministry while a complaint made to the National Safeguarding Team is responded to according to House of Bishops Code of Practice. This includes referral to the appropriate statutory authorities.
“Support is in place for those affected and there will be no further comment while the process is ongoing.
“We understand that this will be a deeply unsettling time.”
The Diocese said its safeguarding team is available via [email protected] or by phone on 01522 504070.
Independent support is also available through Safe Spaces on 0300 303 1056 and ThirtyOneEight on 0303 003 1111.
The Bistop of Grantham, Nicholas Chamberlain, will carry out the functions of the Diocesan Bishop during the suspension.
Following the arrest, the Guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham confirmed Bishop Conway had resigned from his role as Visitor to the Shrine. In a statement, they thanked him for his work and said steps would be taken to appoint a successor.
Bishop Conway, who is also a member of the House of Lords, was formally installed as Bishop of Lincoln in November 2023. He visited Skegness in May 2023 during a county tour following his installation, where he discussed robotics in food production, Towns Fund investment and coastal flooding challenges in Skegness and Boston.
Lincolnshire Police said enquiries remain ongoing. Since the arrest Bishp Conway has been released on conditional bail.